Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-02-03
AMERICAN DRINNs IN ENGLAND.
Experience of the "Amer1can Bar''
Proprietor-The Mint Julep story.

Experience of the ssAmerican Bar,
Proprietor-The Mint Julep story.
[From the New York SUM-
''When 1 opened the American bar in Liv-
erpool such thing as a cocktail, a sour, a
| julep, cobbler, a fzz, or even plain rye or
bourbon whiskey was something that had
| been heard of but by few and tasted by
| none among those who were to become nay
| immediate and regular customers. Brandy
| and soda, 'alf and 'alf, gin, hot toddy, por-
| ter and ale were the favorite and only tip
pies, as they had been for untold genera
tions. Ny bar, backed by true New York
display of glittering glassware, plate glass
| mirrors and bottles of many colored liquids,
with white-coateo handsome young men
ready to serve the customers in place of the
| traditional barmaid, was 1ocked to as if it
had been a museum of rare curiosities.
''But my American drinks went begging.
The old time English beverages were still
good enough for the loyal Britons, and when
the persistent tips they rendered the bar
tenders were as persistently refused it seemed
to appear to them as if the very bulwarks of
the nation were being assailed, and that the
throne itself was tottering. By degrees,
as exigencies occurred which enabled me to
demonstrate to customers the efficacy of
Yankee decoctions in cases of expanded
head. stomachic arrangement superinduced
ciless English tipples, and other physical and
mental disturbances which, l am frank to
say would ever have remained unknown had
there never been either American or other
bars, they came to recognize the fact that ii
there could be any excuse for patroniaing
bar at all, it could only be found in patroni-
zing one where Yankee beverages could be
had. One practical customer, in referring to
the coming around of the British public to
this stage, said that it was if they first
despised, then pitied, then embraced.
's1 had one customer who developed
great fondness for the mint julep. No mat
ter whether the weather was hot or cold, he
wanted his mint julep, and he wanted it with
amazing frequency. He was man of con-
sequence, and thought he would certainly
be able to appreciate an American joke as
we'll as an American drink, so one day I re-
lated to him that bold but respectable anec-
dote about the man who went to Virginia be-
fore the war and became acquainted with
hospitable resident. The resident had plenty
of good material for conviviality, and the
visitor, having recipe for the concocting of
mint julep, thought that his host was vast
ing both stuff and opportunity in being ig
norant of the existence of the julep. The
visitor found that there was fine bed of
mint on the plantation and he led his host
accompanied by a jug and other ingredients
to the spot. There he brewed the julep and
captured the planters heart. The visitor
taught the Virginian how to distil this here
tofore to him unknown nectar and in time
took his departure. A year later he had
business again in Virginia, and he lost no
time in hunting up his old host. He went
to the plantation. His knock being an
swered by an old negro, he asked the servant
for his master.
"'Ol mars's dead, sah, replied the old
negro. Dab was white man come long
h'yah bout yea go an teach OF mars to
drink grass in he lickah, an OF mars done
gwan drink hisse'f to def, sab.
t'I told that to my julep loving customer,
expecting to be rewarded with an appreciative
laugh. He was imbibing one of his beverages
at the time. He quit drinking, looked sol
emn, cast regretful look at the mint in his
glass and went out aud never came back. He
had taken the story literally and drew moral
from il at once. %